Limerick business woman and one of Ireland’s leading experts in branding says Limerick based international companies need to focus on developing a strong local employer brand that aligns with their global employer brand to attract and retain the best talent to Limerick and the Mid West.
CEO of The Pudding, Gillian Horan was speaking at a Limerick thought leadership event on the business impact of employer branding. She says there is an undeniable link between business growth and people which is causing a revolution in brand and business.
“There is a fast revolution happening. Employer Branding is not just about attracting talent it is about business success. Why invest? Employer Branding saves time and money. A strong talent brand reduces cost per hire by up to 50% and lowers turnover rates by 28%. It is important that your employer brand is clear, intentional, consistent and authentic. It’s not about bean bags and slides. Google ‘lite’ is not the solution. What is it really like to work in your organisation? What is the culture like?"
But she added: “There is a challenge with companies at a global level. We see it with major international brands, they have an amazing international brand, it could be on Great Place To Work, they could be a number one company to work for in the States, but what is it like to work here in Ireland? Have a business case for investing in building a local employer brand."
Speaking at the event hosted by The Pudding, Antoinette Clancy, Manager Global HR Advisory Services Northern Trust said: “Local branding was key when we started and we did a tonne of work on it. Connections to Limerick and the Mid West region are huge when hiring in Limerick. City job, country life. Location is key for us. It is really about selling local. Getting it out there in the local company is everyone’s responsibility. It is important that the local management team recognise the importance of a local employer brand. We quickly got them on board with the support and leadership of our General Manager Catherine Duffy. Coming from the top down is key. Employer branding internally was as important as communicating it externally".
Paul Girr, Chief Engineer with Jaguar Landrover, based in Shannon who also spoke at the event explained their experience of establishing themselves in the Mid West. “We’ve had a good trajectory as being a company in the Mid West. We did a lot of work on the lifestyle and what it is like to work here, especially with graduates, we targeted all the universities in the country. But the brand is huge is helping us attract talent and we have to use that as much as possible because it is a competitive environment out there. A lot of the work we do focuses on getting people into the cars and the attributes and DNA of the vehicles.”
Fania Stoney, a Consultant with Great Place to Work Institute who also spoke at the event explained the significance of lifecycle to employer branding within a particular region: “Every organisation has a culture. Whether you choose to make it explicit is something else. It’s there, you’re living it, your people are living it. What is key is responding to lifecycle. We see from our work that responding to lifecycle is really important. Let's have the conversation about the transition to a new region. You have to get clear on expectations."
The thought leadership event is part of a series of events being held by The Pudding providing industry insights into the business impact of brand.